Tas had found nudging Set out while it was daytime tended to keep him calmer than when he was out at night. It wasn't as dark, and though actual shadows were more numerous...it was far easier to interpose her smaller body between him and them. And that was what she was doing now. The crimson juvenile walked backwards as she and Set headed towards the spring in the middle of the pride lands. "Mommy says I'll be old enough to learn from an Msasi soon." She didn't want one of the bigger jobs. Too easy to mess up. Too easy to disappoint her mother.
Tas couldn't bear the thought of more sadness in her mother, especially not now that she'd started to smile a little again. Real smiles, not the ones she gave the pride to convince them she was okay. Set watched Tas carefully, blue eyes looking out for any sign of evil. He nodded, giving his only real friend a small smile. "That's good. I'll be big enough to start training with the Asikari, soon!" He grinned darkly. "No shadows or demons will get inside on MY watch!"
Already present at the spring, Hekima was getting a drink and ridding himself of rogue Land scents. He was given odd looks whenever he came back reeking of things foreign, and had once been mistaken for an intruder because of it. Lifting his head from the spring he spotted the two young ones in the distance. He missed being that age sometimes, everything was much simpler than, and there was not this looming animosity in his soul. He could not shake it sometimes.
Set blinked as they got close to the spring, hackles raising as he realized it was an unfamiliar adult at the body of water. The markings and coloring were half-way familiar, but the adult himself...Tas turned as Set went on edge, and blinked. Then perked up a little. One of her older half-siblings! They never seemed to look at her sadly, like Mommy did. The red juvenile fell back to press against Set, purring. He seemed to calm, settling for frowning and giving the adult an annoyed look.
Tas actually spoke up. "G-good day, big brother!"
Hekima's ears twitched and he smiled at the two cubs, recognizing the one's colorings instinctively as one of his kin. The other cub near her, well he assumed he was her little playmate, or perhaps her trusted friend. Hekima did not have many of those when he was younger as it was mostly just him, his siblings and their mother. He felt glad to know that at least since the pride had been founded, future generations had a chance at the friendships he didn't.
"My, my little sister, growing up too fast you and your friend are.," Hekima said fondly, crossing the body of water to approach the two. He wondered if perhaps they would like to hear of his stories in the rogue lands.
"What are you two up to? Training? Playing?"
Tas puffed up a bit, happy for the praise. She always felt better when one of her family praised her! "Set and I were playing." The male juvenile nodded in agreement. He was glad Tas was talking, even if he still didn't like the adult. Then again...he didn't like all that many creatures. "But we got thirsty." She left Set's side to carefully approach Hekima, rubbing against one of his front legs. Set tensed a bit.
"Careful, Tas...Shadows." Tas just looked back at him and smiled. He needn't worry...they were with one of her brothers! They were safe and sound.
Hekima chuckled and rubbed his muzzle against her head, some water left over fomr his mane trickleing down along with the faint scent of places he had been. Children could be so loving, he almost forgot that at times.
"Shadows?" Hekima questioned, looking up at Set, and raising a brow, "Where are there shadows?"
Hekima was unsure of what the young one meant, but there was only so many possibilities, mostly demons and outsiders. At least he knew that these two were very alert of their surroundings, they'd no doubt be great warriors when they were older.
Taswira giggled as the water dripped onto her, along with the unfamiliar scents. Where had her brother been? To the forbidden borders? Perhaps even outside, looking for something like Dogo and Tara were? When Hekima asked about the shadows, she tensed a bit. Set growled a bit and kneaded the ground with his claws. "Shadows are all around." He stepped on the shadow cast by a small rock. "Most are in league with the demons, always trying to spy on us!"
Tas pressed against her brother. "He doesn't like the shadows much." She went back to Set, placing herself between him and the shadows he saw. "No bad shadows here, Set. Just you and me and big brother."
Hekima nodded to Tas, and sat himslef down on the ground and laid, hoping the relaxed atmosphere would help Set relax himself and calm down.
"Little sister is right, Set. It is only you, her and me here. There are no shadows, and if there were I would defeat them and protect you and little sister, like big brother's are supposed to."
He gave them both a smile, and scratched at the dirt slightly, before looking back up to them, "Do you both like stories? I have many great stories."
Set frowned, but seemed to calm. And he nodded. Tas let out a sigh of relief, thankful her friend was calm again. The two perked at the mention of stories. They looked to each other, then back to Hekima and nodded, moving to settle in front of him. Tas smiled. "We love stories! Luta tells us lots of them, when we're around her." She adored her big sister Luta...the sister that shared her bloody crimson.
